Ketchum revokes Yellow Lab Cab’s permit
"A taxi company is the first glimpse and first impression people
get when they come to a community."
Ketchum City Councilman Maurice Charlat
By KEVIN WISER
Express Staff Writer
The days of operating a taxi cab in the city of Ketchum are over for Yellow
Lab Cab owner and operator Geoffrey Schultz, at least for the next 10 years.
After reviewing a bevy of complaints leveled against Schultz, the Ketchum
City Council voted unanimously Friday to revoke Schultz’s franchise permit to operate
in Ketchum.
According to the Ketchum ordinance regulating cab companies, a person who
has had a franchise revoked by Ketchum or any other city in the United States cannot
reapply for 10 years.
Friday’s revocation was the culmination of an investigation by the
Ketchum Police Department, which began in January following reports that Schultz was not
properly insured to operate a commercial vehicle, police Chief Cal Nevland said in an
interview. Schultz subsequently obtained the insurance, according to a police report.
On March 30, Schultz was suspended from operating at the Friedman Memorial
Airport due to a number of violations of the Hailey airfield’s regulations governing
taxi cab services. The city of Hailey is also considering revoking or suspending
Schultz’s franchise.
During Friday’s hearing, Ketchum city attorney Margaret Simms said
grounds for Schultz’s franchise revocation were based on the following violations:
operating a vehicle in a dangerous manner and accumulating numerous speeding violations;
overcharging fares; soliciting business on the street; failing to keep daily records and
make them available for inspection and altering business records; failing to maintain
vehicles in good mechanical order and appearance; and failing to operate three vehicles as
required by the franchise agreement.
Lt. Mike McNeil of the Ketchum Police Department said that during the
Yellow Lab investigation he found 39 days of log sheets missing from Yellow Lab’s
daily logs and that numerous fare sheets had been altered.
McNeil said he also found approximately 375 violations of overcharging
people for fares in the Ketchum and Hailey area.
Though the evidence gathered against Schultz by the city was substantial,
he still denied any wrongdoing.
"My rates are clearly posted, Schultz told the council. "I do
not overcharge fares."
McNeil said 11 citations, including six for speeding and three for failure
to provide proof of insurance, were issued to Schultz from March of 1997 to January of
this year. According to Fifth District Court documents, Schultz has been convicted of
speeding in Blaine County five times since 1997 and has one pending speeding citation. He
has once been convicted for running a stop sign.
In a statement filed with the Ketchum Police Department, one passenger
said, "I have no idea how this company could obtain a taxi license with the vehicles
they are using. Not only was it in disrepair, filthy and I am sure a safety hazard, but
also leaves a terrible impression on guests visiting our valley."
Again, Schultz denied any wrongdoing.
"My vehicles are in impeccable condition," he said.
Another passenger told police that Schultz "consistently drove at 95
miles per hour between Ketchum and Hailey."
Again, Schultz denied the complaint.
"Allegations about speeding 90 miles per hour are absolutely
ludicrous," he said.
Still other complaints suggested that Schultz was driving a cab while
under the influence of alcohol.
Schultz said, "I do not drink and drive."
As for the insurance issue, McNeil said Schultz did not have the proper
insurance. According to a State Farm Insurance agent, Schultz had personal auto insurance
but no commercial coverage, McNeil said.
"I felt I was in absolute full compliance," Schultz responded.
McNeil added that Schultz misrepresented himself to the insurance company
as to the actual use of his vehicles, which he said Schultz listed as "food
service." McNeil said it was "unreasonable" for Schultz to have expected
that he was getting commercial cab insurance for only $89 for six months.
As he did in previous disciplinary hearings, Schultz placed the blame for
the allegations against him on the valley’s two other cab companies, A-1 and Bald
Mountain.
"For every complaint against me there have been at least five against
my competitors," Schultz said.
However, Ketchum Police Chief Cal Nevland wasn’t buying
Schultz’s story.
"We’ve had more complaints against Yellow Lab in the last year
than his competitors have had in the last five years," Nevland said.
Mayor Coles agreed, saying Yellow Lab was the only cab company he had
heard complaints about during his tenure as mayor.
Ketchum City Councilman Maurice Charlat said he was concerned about the
impression Yellow Lab was having on visitors to the valley and visibly upset about the
complaints against Yellow Lab and Schultz’s refusal to accept responsibility for his
actions.
"A taxi company is the first glimpse and first impression people get
when they come to a community," Charlat said.
Charlat then referred to Schultz’s driving record as
"scary."
Almost yelling, Charlat said, "I would not like you driving a school
bus with children in it. I wouldn’t like you driving my grandchildren around and I
wouldn’t want you to drive me around, judging from what’s in this
[report]."
Following the council’s vote to revoke Yellow Lab’s franchise
permit, A-1 Taxi president Scott Brashiers said he was sorry it had to end this way for
Yellow Lab.
However, Brashiers said, "it’s a matter of public safety and the
proper representation of our community."
